Marie Force on her new Gansett Island Episodes (‘Episode 1: Victoria & Shannon’ is out today!)

Marie Force joins us to give us the backstory on Gansett Island Episodes, which kick off today with Episode 1: Victoria & Shannon. (FYI: I had the honor of helping Marie with the proofread of this novella.)

Marie: So what’s an author to do, 16 books into a series, with readers asking for more of this character or that couple or how about that other couple that never had a story of their own? That author needs to listen to her readers and give them what they want! That’s how the Gansett Island Episodes idea came to fruition — in the shower of all places, where I do some of my best thinking.

One of the hallmarks of the Gansett Island Series has been the return of past characters for new stories in future books. In my mind, the fun is just getting started with the “I love yous,” and why would I want those happy couples to disappear from the island landscape just because they’re in committed relationships?

We see them all again, as part of group events and in some cases with all new stories as subplots in later books. We’ve seen Mac and Maddie, the couple featured in book one, Maid for Love, through marriage and the arrival of their daughter in a tropical storm, the reemergence of her deadbeat father and a devastating loss that tested their marriage, among other things. I truly believe this inclusion of the full cast is one of the things that brings readers back for each new book. Many of them tell me they feel like they are visiting with old friends, and I love to hear that!

When confronted with my growing cast and more story to tell for many of them, it’s no longer possible to get everyone into each new book, and a few couples have never had their moment in the sun. In Episode 1, we find out more about one of those couples, island midwife Victoria Stevens and Irishman Shannon O’Grady, the cousin of series regular Seamus O’Grady.

We’ve heard bits and pieces about Victoria and Shannon in past books, but they’ve never had the spotlight centered on them until now. And what fun it was to delve into the sexy romance that’s been on simmer for a year when Episode 1 opens with Victoria going to Seamus to ask some questions about her boyfriend. The answers she gets are not at all what she expected and leave her with a dilemma about how to proceed.

In the course of Episode 1, THREE long-awaited island babies arrive in the span of 24 hours, keeping our intrepid midwife very busy at a time when she’s struggling mightily with her own relationship. Here’s an exclusive excerpt from Gansett Island Episode 1: Victoria & Shannon.

EXCERPT

Victoria went into her office, took her hair down from the bun and stretched out on the sofa she’d bought at a yard sale for occasions such as this when she was required to stay at the clinic after hours. Rarely did she have to spend an entire night, but it happened once in a while. In a way, she was thankful for the outbreak of babies, because it bought her some time to figure out her next move with Shannon.

Looking up at the ceiling, she thought about the night she’d met him at the Beachcomber, the same day he’d arrived from Ireland with his aunt Nora, Seamus’s mother. He’d planned to stay for two weeks and go home with Nora. Victoria wasn’t particularly proud of the fact that she’d invited him back to her place the first night they met. That wasn’t something she’d ever done before him. But it had been a while, years really, since she’d connected with a man the way she had with him. And, let’s face it. The man was smoking hot.

She smiled thinking about how bowled over she’d been by his charm, the accent and a face that defied description. He was male beauty personified, with longish brown hair infused with red highlights that went blond in the summer, hazel eyes, a body built for sin and lips made for kissing. To this day, when he spoke to her in that lyrical Irish accent, she went stupid in the head. He could be talking about taking out the trash, and it had the same impact as when he whispered sweet words when they made love.

Closing her eyes, she thought about that first time, when he’d silently helped her out of her clothes and then let her do the same for him. She’d been slightly appalled at how easily she’d capitulated to his overwhelming charm, but once they were in her bed, she hadn’t had the mental capacity for regrets or recriminations.

She’d had the best sex of her entire life that night—and just about every night since then. It was safe to say she was completely addicted to sex with him. Just thinking about it made her want him. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to indulge in thoughts about the part of their relationship that worked effortlessly. All he had to do was look at her, and she was ready. It had never been like that for her before with any guy, even Stuart, the man she’d dated for two years after college.

Marrying him would’ve been a huge mistake. What if she’d been married to him or someone else when she met Shannon? How would she have resisted the instant temptation he presented? She’d wanted him from the minute he sat next to her at the Beachcomber bar and asked for a beer. He had her at “I’ll have a Guinness, please, love.”

Even Chelsea, the bartender, had reacted the way any normal red-blooded American woman would in the face of so much Irish hotness. The “holy cow” look she’d given Victoria had been priceless. But Shannon… He’d had eyes only for her, something that still had the power to amaze her so many months later.

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Ahhhh, Irish sex on a stick! Are you ready for Shannon?!? I had so much fun writing this Gansett Island novella and I’m so excited to get it out to readers today. The next Episode will feature Kevin McCarthy and Chelsea Rose, who have had some story in recent books as their romance unfolded. In Episode 2, they’re facing a crossroads and have some difficult decisions to make. In that Episode, we will also get to know Kevin’s sons, Riley and Finn, a little better, and I expect Riley to be the subject of the next full-length Gansett Island book. Lots more to come from my magical little island! We’re just getting started on Gansett!